If you want to know how good is the team you are rooting for, you assess every player on the squad. Your eyes should wander to the sidelines and see who the bench consists of. The importance of the Sixth Man grew immensely during the past couple of decades. A strong bench means that the team can do great even after their star players are fouled out.
An example of a great Sixth Man would be Montrezl Harrell. Harrell, who won the Sixth Man of the Year award in 2020, is a strong and reliable player. He does great both on the point guard and center positions. Let’s take a look at the biography of the player, to find out how he gained these versatile skills.
Montrezl Harrell – High School Career
Montrezl Harrell was born on January 26, 1994, in Tarboro, North Carolina. His parents, Selena Harrell and Samuel Harrell were very supportive of his passion. He grew up in a loving environment with his grandparents, two younger brothers, aunt, and her kids. At one point his parents spent every dime they had to invest in their son’s career. This made Harrell more motivated, as he felt he had to take care of them as they took care of him. He spent his first big salary on a house for his family.
What school did Montrezl Harrell go to?
Montrezl Harrell was a very tall teenager, reaching 6 feet 7 inches at the end of his run with North Edgecombe High School. In his junior year, he left his family house and attended Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, Virginia, to better his grades and prepare for college basketball.
He helped Hargrave’s team to a 38-1 record and averaged 25.2 points and 13.6 rebounds per game. He was noticed by Seth Greenberg, who at that time coached Virginia Tech Hokies and agreed to play for them. But Greenberg was fired and Harrell went after him to Louisville.
Montrezl Harrell – College Career
The Sixth Man role was assigned to Harrell from the beginning of his college career. His freshman year he backed up for a power forward Chane Behanan and he averaged 16.2 minutes per game with 5.7 points and 3.6 rebounds. At the end of the season, he helped the Louisville Cardinals to win the Big East Conference with 20 points performance. After that, they went as far as the 2013 NCAA championship. Unfortunately, the championships were later vacated, because in 2015 a scandal broke out. It was alleged that the players were provided escort services, hired by the school officials in the attempt of bribery.
Montrezl Harrell – Sophomore Year
His sophomore year, Montrezl Harrell was considered one of the top returning college players in America. After the season, he proved that it was well-deserved as he was named to the American Athletic Conference fall first-team when the season concluded. He stayed in school for his junior year and upon the Cardinals moving to the Atlantic Coast Conference he averaged 15.7 points and 9.2 rebounds per game and became AAC Most Improved Player of 2014. It was a difficult time for his family as his parents had to work multiple jobs to support their son’s dreams. When the season ended, Harell received Karl Malone Award honors for being the best power forward in the nation and was named to the All-ACC second team.
Montrezl Harrell – Houston Rockets
Harell opted out of his final years in college and made himself eligible for the NBA Draft in 2015. His rookie year was to be played with the Houston Rockets as he became the second-round 32nd overall pick. He signed a three-year contract and debuted in a season opener against the Denver Nuggets, on October 28, 2015.
He wasn’t a part of the starting lineup at first, but soon he made the starting roster on November 13th, which was the first and last start this NBA season. He scored five points in 13 minutes and was benched for most of the game. He also received numerous tasks and assignments for the Houston Rockets D-League affiliate, Rio Grande Valley Vipers. During the Vipers game, on March 28, 2016, because he pushed a referee who tried to break up the fight between Montrezl Harrell and Derek Cooke Jr.
Harell hadn’t made his second starter until the second year with the Rockets. He scored 17 points, which tied his then career-high. In a 140–116 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on December 30, he established a new career-high with 29 points. On January 8, 2017, he had 28 points in 26 minutes on 12-of-13 shooting in a 129–122 victory over the Toronto Raptors.
Montrezl Harrell – Los Angeles Clippers
In 2017 Harrell was traded, along with six other players and a draft pick in exchange for Chris Paul. Harrell joined the Los Angeles Clippers, where he could fully spread his wings. He re-signed with them for the next season, where he scored career-high 32 points, which included eight dunks. His incredible performances with the Clippers made him respected as a strong off-bench player and he won the NBA 2020 Sixth Man of the Year Award. With his help, the Clippers made the playoffs.
Montrezl Harrell – From a Free Agent to the Los Angeles Lakers
For 2020-21, Harrell became a free agent. Despite the Clippers wanting to keep Montrezl Harrell, he signed with the Los Angeles Lakers on November 22, 2020. He made his debut in yellow and purple at the beginning of December. He scored 17 points, 10 rebounds, and three assists, but it wasn’t enough to win over his former team, Los Angeles Clippers.
Montrezl Harrell – Washington Wizards
For the 2020-21 season, Montrezl Harrell was traded to the Washington Wizards as a part of a package deal for Russell Westbrook. It turned out to be a huge mistake for the Lakers, as Westbrook’s chemistry with the team was off from the start.
Montrezl Harrell is a strong finisher in the paint and despite his stature, he is very agile and athletic. His tenacity cannot be compared to anyone else’s, which helps him on both ends of the court. He is perfectly capable of playing the center and power forward positions. He is putting up high numbers and averages 21,5 minutes per game, 13 ppg points with a 61 field goal percentage. He also has two gold medals for representing the USA in the FIBA World U18 Championship in 2012 and FIBA World U19 Championship in 2013.
Why does Montrezl Harrell have an L in his name?
The L stems from his father’s creativity. He wanted Trez to have a unique first name.
What is Montrezl Harrell known for?
His hard work. Trez wasn’t an especially gifted player. His grit, determination, and energy are the traits that define him.
What happened with Luka Doncic and Montrezl Harrell?
Harrell made some remarks about Doncic being a “b****-a** white boy,” for which he publicly apologized.
